has a ‘low risk’ bushfire rating. For more information: This means on days of forecast catastrophic fire danger rating, our school/preschool will remain open. DECD Emergency and Crisis Management Website School buses and taxis will not operate within the Fire Ban District. www.crisis.sa.edu.au Bushfire Emergency Contact: www.cfs.sa.gov.au Department for Education and Child Development: SA Country Fire Service (CFS) Website: CFS Bushfire Information Hotline: School/Preschool number: Please note that this number may be engaged during an emergency situation. If you are unable to get through please contact the DECD Parent Bushfire Information Hotline: 1800 000 279 1300 362 361 During days of forecast catastrophic fire danger ratings or an actual bushfire, the DECD Parent Bushfire Information Hotline will be activated. DECD Parent Bushfire Information Hotline: 1800 000 279 2014/2015 Fire Danger Season Information for Families Approaching Bushfire: The fire danger season can be an anxious time for children and families. Our schools and preschools in bushfire prone areas have emergency and Bushfire Response Plans, to keep everybody as safe as possible in the event of a bushfire. By being prepared, and acting now, you will help our schools and preschools to be bushfire ready and keep our children as safe as possible. Thank you for your support. How you can help: We ask parents and carers to: If our school or preschool is open and a bushfire is approaching, the safety of children is our highest priority. Days of Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating: Catastrophic fire danger rating days are days when the weather conditions mean a fire is more likely to start and is more difficult to control. When a catastrophic fire danger rating is forecast for the following day by the Bureau of Meteorology, all ‘low/medium risk’ schools and preschools (such as ours) in the declared Fire Ban District will remain open. Principals and preschool directors must comply with SAPOL and CFS instructions. Read all bushfire information provided. School buses and taxis services that travel through affected Fire Ban District(s) however will not operate. Talk to your children about what will happen if a bushfire occurs when they are at school or preschool. Parents and carers will need to make alternative transport arrangements for their children on these days. Make sure your emergency contact details are upto-date with our school or preschool. Please make sure your emergency contact details are updated before the fire danger season starts. Make a Personal Bushfire Survival Plan for your family and tell your school or preschool if this affects your child’s attendance. The school or preschool Emergency Response Team (with the assistance of SA Police and other emergency services) will take charge if a bushfire is approaching. It is recommended that during these events, everybody should remain at their school or preschool unless instructed to do otherwise. Unless there is no other option, or our school or preschool is advised to evacuate by CFS or other emergency services then everyone will remain inside a designated building and emergency procedures will be activated. These will include: Moving everybody inside, closing windows, doors, and turning off the air-conditioning. Filling available containers with water. If it is safe to do so and time permits turning on all sprinklers and irrigation systems. Remaining inside and activating our emergency procedures with the children until the main fire-front passes. Listening to local ABC Radio Station and FIVEaa radio stations for bushfire up dates and information. If possible, communicating to parents that students are moving into the designated building. We hope that we will never have to enact our emergency procedures for a bushfire. However we are working with our school and preschool communities to be ready in the event of a bushfire emergency and trust that as parents and carers we will have your support. DECD Bushfire and Emergency Management Team 26 September 2014